witness || h.s.|| ON HOLD

forty-one || bossman

   We pulled away after a moment or two, and Harry opened his mouth to speak.

   "Well, I guess it's time to talk to the boss man."

***********

Harry

    As we pulled up to the Fort, I felt as though I hadn't been there in months. It also felt different this time, because I knew that I would most likely have to lie to the only father figure I had ever had. 

    Tate and I got out and entered the building, going through all of the tedious security procedures, including...Ralph.

    "Tate!" He cried out when he saw her, completely failing to acknowledge my existence. 

  Normally, I would have rolled my eyes at this, but now, it just made me smile.

   Of course, he was happy to see her. Who wouldn't be? She was sunshine in human form. 

   And I was lucky enough to bask in her rays as much as my heart desired. 

   "Hey, Ralph!" She cried, and my mouth dropped open in shock as Ralph reached out to hug her in his large arms.

  "Careful with her shoulder," I instructed, and he peered up at me in confusion.

   "What happened? Who do I need to kill?" He asked, quickly turning serious.

  Tate chuckled. "No need, Harry already did," she smiled, looking back at me.

  Ralph looked up at me and raised an eyebrow.

   "Did he now?" he hummed, pausing for a moment, "Okay, well, I hope your shoulder heals quickly, Tate. It's lovely to see you again, Styles, you're clear," he muttered, and I wasn't sure I had heard him correctly.

   "I'm sorry, what? Don't you need to prolong this for about twenty more minutes?" I asked in astonishment. 

   "Not today. You took care of her," he explained, nodding at Tate. 

  I put my hand over my heart and gushed to him sarcastically.

   "Ralph...are we friends now?"

    He just rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Slow your roll, Styles. Don't make me change my mind," he huffed, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the small smile from forming on his lips. 

   I gave him a similar small grin as we walked by, my hand placed on Tate's back as I guided her to the elevator. 

   We took the familiar trip up the elevator and into the lavish walls of the fifth floor. 

 I didn't want Whit to know that Tate and I were dating yet, not because I was ashamed, how could I ever be ashamed of someone as beautiful as her? I didn't want him to know because I didn't want him to react the same way that Will had on our flight up to Scotland. It was beyond infuriating, that after four years of loyal service and a perfect track record of doing whatever the fuck I was told, that they still chose to doubt me. 

   I leaned down ever so slightly to whisper to Tate. "We just gotta play it cool."

 Without even turning her head up to look at me she responded, "I'm all cool, baby baby, don't go blowing my cover."

I tried desperately to suppress the smirk that was threatening to appear on my lips. Tate had always had a spitfire side to her, but in the time that I had known her, I watched her bloom. She was brave as fuck. She was a smartass, a quality that we both possessed, that we both used to despise about each other. But now? Her sarcastic comments were one of my favorite things about her.